Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn

Overview

The inspection describes a school where leaders have established a culture of high expectations and inclusion, resulting in pupils who are "polite, kind and respectful." While safeguarding, attendance, behaviour, early years provision, and inclusion are rated at a "Strong standard," curriculum delivery and achievement are assessed at an "Expected standard." The report highlights that pupils feel safe and well cared for, with a strong sense of belonging.

Strengths

• Leaders are "tenacious" in maintaining high attendance, successfully reducing barriers for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs.
• The early years curriculum is "highly effective," with staff delivering high-quality interactions that support accelerated progress and prepare children well for Year 1.
• A "strong culture of inclusion" ensures pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make secure progress through carefully tailored education plans.
• Pupils demonstrate excellent behaviour, settling quickly and engaging well in lessons, with bullying being "very rare."
• Governors and leaders work effectively together, managing resources well and prioritising staff workload and wellbeing.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure teaching approaches are consistent across the school so that pupils produce "high-quality work routinely," as practice sometimes varies between classes.
• Leaders should ensure pupils have opportunities to apply and deepen their writing skills across the wider curriculum, so they become more independent and confident writers.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed.